Six degree of freedom aerial vehicle having reconfigurable motors

ABSTRACT

Various reconfigurations of propulsion mechanisms of an aerial vehicle are described. For example, responsive to a fault or failure of a propulsion mechanism, the remaining propulsion mechanisms may be modified to maintain control and safety of the aerial vehicle. In example embodiments, cant angles, toe angles, positions, and/or orientations of one or more propulsion mechanisms may be modified to maintain control and safety in either a horizontal, wingborn flight orientation, or a vertical, VTOL flight orientation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 15/435,121,filed Feb. 16, 2017, entitled “Six Degree of Freedom Aerial Vehicle witha Ring Wing,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Unmanned vehicles, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAV”), ground andwater based automated vehicles, are continuing to increase in use. Forexample, UAVs are often used by hobbyists to obtain aerial images ofbuildings, landscapes, etc. Likewise, unmanned ground based units areoften used in materials handling facilities to autonomously transportinventory within the facility. While there are many beneficial uses ofthese vehicles, balancing the tightly coupled vehicle performanceparameters of stability, maneuverability, and energy efficiencyintroduces design complexities of the UAVs. For example, due to currentdesign limitations, design tradeoffs exist between optimizing UAVs forhigh agility versus high energy efficiency. Likewise, aerial vehiclesare designed to only operate with four degrees of freedom—pitch, yaw,roll, and heave. In addition, aerial vehicles are generally designedassuming a fully operational state. Accordingly, there is a need forsystems and methods to maintain control and safety of aerial vehicleseven in degraded operational states.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical components or features.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate various views of an aerial vehicle with asubstantially hexagonal shaped ring wing, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of an aerial vehicle with a substantiallycircular shaped ring wing, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate views of a propulsion mechanism having anadjustable cant angle, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate views of a propulsion mechanism having anadjustable toe angle, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIG. 8 illustrates a view of a propulsion mechanism having an adjustableposition, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIG. 9 illustrates a view of a propulsion mechanism having an adjustableorientation using variable elasticity, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate various views of an aerial vehicle withadjustable propulsion mechanisms, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of an example aerial vehicle motorout control process, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIG. 12 illustrates a flow diagram of an example aerial vehicle motorreconfiguration process, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating various components of an exampleaerial vehicle control system, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

While implementations are described herein by way of example, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are notlimited to the examples or drawings described. It should be understoodthat the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended tolimit implementations to the particular form disclosed but, on thecontrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents andalternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by theappended claims. The headings used herein are for organizationalpurposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of thedescription or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word“may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potentialto), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly,the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but notlimited to.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes aerial vehicles, such as UAVs (e.g.,quad-copters, hex-copters, hepta-copters, octa-copters) that can operatein a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation or in a horizontalflight orientation. Likewise, when the aerial vehicle is in a VTOLorientation, it can transition independently in any of the six degreesof freedom. Specifically, as described herein, the aerial vehicles mayefficiently rotate in any of the three degrees of freedom of rotation(pitch, yaw, and roll) and/or may efficiently move in any of the threedegrees of freedom of translation (surge, heave, and sway). For example,the aerial vehicle may include six propulsion mechanisms that areoriented at different angles and therefore, together, can provide thrustin the vertical direction and/or the horizontal direction when theaerial vehicle is in a VTOL orientation.

As discussed further below, a ring wing is included on the aerialvehicle that surrounds the propulsion mechanisms of the aerial vehicleand provides both protection around the propulsion mechanisms and liftwhen the aerial vehicle is in the horizontal flight orientation andnavigating in a substantially horizontal direction.

In addition, responsive to degraded functional states of aerial vehiclessuch as motor out situations, the aerial vehicles described herein mayimplement one or more reconfigurations to maintain control of the aerialvehicles and land the aerial vehicles at safe landing locations. In oneexample embodiment, an aerial vehicle that has detected a failedpropulsion mechanism may reconfigure cant angles of one or morepropulsion mechanisms. In other example embodiments, an aerial vehiclethat has detected a failed propulsion mechanism may reconfigure toeangles of one or more propulsion mechanisms. In further exampleembodiments, an aerial vehicle that has detected a failed propulsionmechanism may reconfigure positions of one or more propulsionmechanisms. In still further example embodiments, various combinationsof reconfigurations may be implemented, and some of the variouscombinations may include planarizing two or more propulsion mechanisms,angling one or more propulsion mechanisms toward or away from thefuselage, and/or repositioning one or more propulsion mechanisms towardor away from the fuselage.

Moreover, although aerial vehicle reconfigurations of one or morepropulsion mechanisms are described herein generally in the context ofdegraded functional or operational states of aerial vehicles, in someexample embodiments, various of the aerial vehicle reconfigurations maybe performed even in fully functional states or other operational statesof aerial vehicles. In this manner, the propulsion mechanisms may bemodified as described herein to improve or increase controllability ofaerial vehicles even in the absence of any particular faults or failuresof one or more components of aerial vehicles.

As used herein, a “materials handling facility” may include, but is notlimited to, warehouses, distribution centers, cross-docking facilities,order fulfillment facilities, packaging facilities, shipping facilities,rental facilities, libraries, retail stores, wholesale stores, museums,or other facilities or combinations of facilities for performing one ormore functions of materials (inventory) handling. A “delivery location,”as used herein, refers to any location at which one or more inventoryitems (also referred to herein as a payload) may be delivered. Forexample, the delivery location may be a person's residence, a place ofbusiness, a location within a materials handling facility (e.g., packingstation, inventory storage), or any location where a user or inventoryis located, etc. Inventory or items may be any physical goods that canbe transported using an aerial vehicle. For example, an item carried bya payload of an aerial vehicle discussed herein may be ordered by acustomer of an electronic commerce website and aerially delivered by theaerial vehicle to a delivery location.

FIG. 1 illustrates a view of an aerial vehicle 100 with a ring wing thatis substantially hexagonal in shape and that surrounds a plurality ofpropulsion mechanisms, according to disclosed implementations. Theaerial vehicle 100 includes six propulsion mechanisms 102-1, 102-2,102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6 spaced about the fuselage 110 of theaerial vehicle 100. As discussed above, while the propulsion mechanisms102 may include motors 101-1, 101-2, 101-3, 101-4, 101-5, and 101-6 andpropellers 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, 104-4, 104-5, and 104-6, in otherimplementations, other forms of propulsion may be utilized as thepropulsion mechanisms 102. For example, one or more of the propulsionmechanisms 102 of the aerial vehicle 100 may utilize fans, jets,turbojets, turbo fans, jet engines, and/or the like to maneuver theaerial vehicle. Generally described, a propulsion mechanism 102, as usedherein, includes any form of propulsion mechanism that is capable ofgenerating a force sufficient to maneuver the aerial vehicle, aloneand/or in combination with other propulsion mechanisms. Furthermore, inselected implementations, propulsion mechanisms (e.g., 102-1, 102-2,102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6) may be configured such that theirindividual orientations may be dynamically modified (e.g., change fromvertical to horizontal flight orientation or any position therebetween).

Likewise, while the examples herein describe the propulsion mechanismsbeing able to generate force in either direction, in someimplementations, the propulsion mechanisms may only generate force in asingle direction. However, the orientation of the propulsion mechanismmay be adjusted so that the force can be oriented in a positivedirection, a negative direction, and/or any other direction.

In this implementation, the aerial vehicle 100 also includes a ring wing107 having a substantially hexagonal shape that extends around and formsthe perimeter of the aerial vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, thering wing has six sections or segments 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, 107-4,107-5, and 107-6 that are joined at adjacent ends to form the ring wing107 around the aerial vehicle 100. Each segment of the ring wing 107 hasan airfoil shape to produce lift when the aerial vehicle is oriented asillustrated in FIG. 1 and moving in a direction that is substantiallyhorizontal. As illustrated, and discussed further below, the ring wingis positioned at an angle with respect to the fuselage 110 such that thelower segment 107-2 of the ring wing acts as a front wing as it istoward the front of the aerial vehicle when oriented as shown and movingin a horizontal direction. The upper segment 107-1 of the ring wing,which has a longer chord length than the lower segment 107-2 of the ringwing 107, is farther back and thus acts as a rear wing.

The ring wing 107 is secured to the fuselage 110 by motor arms 105. Inthis example, all six motor arms 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4, 105-5, and105-6 are coupled to the fuselage at one end, extend from the fuselage110 and couple to the ring wing 107 at a second end, thereby securingthe ring wing 107 to the fuselage 110. In other implementations, lessthan all of the motor arms may extend from the fuselage 110 and coupleto the ring wing 107. For example, motor arms 105-2 and 105-5 may becoupled to the fuselage 110 at one end and extend outward from thefuselage but not couple to the ring wing 107.

In some implementations, the aerial vehicle may also include one or morestabilizer fins 120 that extend from the fuselage 110 to the ring wing107. The stabilizer fin 120 may also have an airfoil shape. In theillustrated example, the stabilizer fin 120 extends vertically from thefuselage 110 to the ring wing 107. In other implementations, thestabilizer fin may be at other positions. For example, the stabilizerfin may extend downward from the fuselage between motor arm 105-1 andmotor arm 105-6.

In general, one or more stabilizer fins may extend from the fuselage110, between any two motor arms 105 and couple to an interior of thering wing 107. For example, stabilizer fin 120 may extend upward betweenmotor arms 105-3 and 105-4, a second stabilizer fin may extend from thefuselage and between motor arms 105-5 and 105-6, and a third stabilizerfin may extend from the fuselage and between motor arms 105-1 and 105-2.

Likewise, while the illustrated example shows the motor arm extendingfrom the fuselage 110 at one end and coupling to the interior of thering wing 107 at a second end, in other implementations, one or more ofthe stabilizer fin(s) may extend from the fuselage and not couple to thering wing or may extend from the ring wing and not couple to thefuselage. In some implementations, one or more stabilizer fins mayextend from the exterior of the ring wing 107, one or more stabilizerfins may extend from the interior of the ring wing 107, one or morestabilizer fins may extend from the fuselage 110, and/or one or morestabilizer fins may extend from the fuselage 110 and couple to theinterior of the ring wing 107.

The fuselage 110, motor arms 105, stabilizer fin 120, and ring wing 107of the aerial vehicle 100 may be formed of any one or more suitablematerials, such as graphite, carbon fiber, and/or aluminum.

Each of the propulsion mechanisms 102 are coupled to a respective motorarm 105 (or propulsion mechanism arm) such that the propulsion mechanism102 is substantially contained within the perimeter of the ring wing107. For example, propulsion mechanism 102-1 is coupled to motor arm105-1, propulsion mechanism 102-2 is coupled to motor arm 105-2,propulsion mechanism 102-3 is coupled to motor arm 105-3, propulsionmechanism 102-4 is coupled to motor arm 105-4, propulsion mechanism102-5 is coupled to motor arm 105-5, and propulsion mechanism 102-6 iscoupled to motor arm 105-6. In the illustrated example, each propulsionmechanism 102-1, 102-2, 102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6 is coupled at anapproximate mid-point of the respective motor arm 105-1, 105-2, 105-3,105-4, 105-5, and 105-6 between the fuselage 110 and the ring wing 107.In other embodiments, some propulsion mechanisms 102 may be coupledtoward an end of the respective motor arm 105. In other implementations,the propulsion mechanisms may be coupled at other locations along themotor arm. Likewise, in some implementations, some of the propulsionmechanisms may be coupled to a mid-point of the motor arm and some ofthe propulsion mechanisms may be coupled at other locations alongrespective motor arms (e.g., closer toward the fuselage 110 or closertoward the ring wing 107).

As illustrated, the propulsion mechanisms 102 may be oriented atdifferent angles with respect to each other. For example, propulsionmechanisms 102-2 and 102-5 are aligned with the fuselage 110 such thatthe force generated by each of propulsion mechanisms 102-2 and 102-5 isin-line or in the same direction or orientation as the fuselage. In theillustrated example, the aerial vehicle 100 is oriented for horizontalflight such that the fuselage is oriented horizontally in the directionof travel. In such an orientation, the propulsion mechanisms 102-2 and102-5 provide horizontal forces, also referred to herein as thrustingforces and act as thrusting propulsion mechanisms.

In comparison to propulsion mechanisms 102-2 and 102-5, each ofpropulsion mechanisms 102-1, 102-3, 102-4, and 102-6 are offset orangled with respect to the orientation of the fuselage 110. When theaerial vehicle 100 is oriented horizontally as shown in FIG. 1 forhorizontal flight, the propulsion mechanisms 102-1, 102-3, 102-4, and102-6 may be used as propulsion mechanisms, providing thrust in anon-horizontal direction to cause the aerial vehicle to pitch, yaw,roll, heave and/or sway. In other implementations, during horizontalflight, the propulsion mechanisms 102-1, 102-3, 102-4, and 102-6 may bedisabled such that they do not produce any forces and the aerial vehicle100 may be propelled aerially in a horizontal direction as a result ofthe lifting force from the aerodynamic shape of the ring wing 107 andthe horizontal thrust produced by the thrusting propulsion mechanisms102-2 and 102-5.

In some implementations, one or more segments of the ring wing 107 mayinclude ailerons, control surfaces, and/or trim tabs 109 that may beadjusted to control the aerial flight of the aerial vehicle 100. Forexample, one or more ailerons, control surfaces, and/or trim tabs 109may be included on the upper segment 107-1 of the ring wing 107 and/orone or more ailerons, control surfaces, and/or trim tabs 109 may beincluded on the side segments 107-4 and/or 107-3. Further, one or moreailerons, control surfaces, and/or trim tabs 109 may also be included onone or more of the remaining segments 107-2, 107-5, and 107-6. Theailerons, control surfaces, and/or trim tabs 109 may be operable tocontrol the pitch, yaw, and/or roll of the aerial vehicle duringhorizontal flight when the aerial vehicle 100 is oriented as illustratedin FIG. 1.

The angle of orientation of each of the propulsion mechanism 102-1,102-2, 102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6 may vary for differentimplementations. Likewise, in some implementations, the offset of thepropulsion mechanisms 102-1, 102-2, 102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6 mayeach be the same, with some oriented in one direction and some orientedin another direction, may each be oriented different amounts, and/or indifferent directions.

In the illustrated example of FIG. 1, each propulsion mechanism 102-1,102-2, 102-3, 102-4, 102-5, and 102-6 may be oriented approximatelythirty degrees with respect to the position of each respective motor arm105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4, 105-5, and 105-6. In addition, the directionof orientation of the propulsion mechanisms is such that pairs ofpropulsion mechanisms are oriented toward one another. For example,propulsion mechanism 102-1 is oriented approximately thirty degreestoward propulsion mechanism 102-6. Likewise, propulsion mechanism 102-2is oriented approximately thirty degrees in a second direction about thesecond motor arm 105-2 and oriented toward propulsion mechanism 102-3.Finally, propulsion mechanism 102-4 is oriented approximately thirtydegrees in the first direction about the fourth motor arm 105-4 andtoward propulsion 102-5. As illustrated, propulsion mechanisms 102-2 and102-5, which are on opposing sides of the fuselage 110, are aligned andoriented in a same first direction (in this example, horizontal).Propulsion mechanisms 102-3 and 102-6, which are on opposing sides ofthe fuselage 110, are aligned and oriented in a same second direction,which is angled compared to the first direction. Propulsion mechanisms102-1 and 102-4, which are on opposing sides of the fuselage 110, arealigned and oriented in a same third direction, which is angled comparedto the first direction and the second direction.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the aerial vehicle 200 oriented forvertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), in accordance with disclosedimplementations. The aerial vehicle 200 corresponds to the aerialvehicle 100 discussed above with respect to FIG. 1. When oriented asillustrated in FIG. 2, the aerial vehicle may maneuver in any of the sixdegrees of freedom (pitch, yaw, roll, heave, surge, and sway), therebyenabling VTOL and high maneuverability.

As illustrated, when the aerial vehicle is oriented for VTOL, the motorarms and the ring wing 207 are aligned approximately horizontally and inthe same plane. In this orientation, each of the propulsion mechanismsare offset or angled with respect to the horizontal and/or verticaldirection. As such, each propulsion mechanism 202, when generating aforce, generates a force that includes both a horizontal component and avertical component. In the illustrated example, each propulsionmechanism is angled approximately thirty degrees with respect tovertical. Likewise, as discussed above, adjacent propulsion mechanismsare angled in opposing directions to form pairs of propulsionmechanisms. For example, propulsion mechanism 202-2 is oriented towardpropulsion mechanism 202-3. As discussed further below, angling adjacentpropulsion mechanisms toward one another to form pairs of propulsionmechanisms allows horizontal forces from each propulsion mechanism tocancel out such that the pair of propulsion mechanisms can produce a netvertical force. Likewise, if one of the propulsion mechanisms of a pairof propulsion mechanisms is producing a larger force than the otherpropulsion mechanism of the pair, a net horizontal force will resultfrom the pair of propulsion mechanisms. Accordingly, when the aerialvehicle 200 is oriented for VTOL with angled propulsion mechanisms, asillustrated in FIG. 2, the aerial vehicle can move independently in anyof the six degrees of freedom. For example, if the aerial vehicle is tosurge in the X direction, it can do so by altering the forces producedby the propulsion mechanisms to generate a net horizontal force in the Xdirection without having to pitch forward to enable a surge in the Xdirection.

To enable the fuselage to be oriented horizontally with an offset ringwing 207 during horizontal flight, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thefuselage is rotated at an angle when the aerial vehicle 200 is orientedfor VTOL, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this example the fuselage 210 isangled at approximately thirty degrees from vertical. In otherimplementations, the amount of rotation from vertical may be greater orless depending on the amount of offset desired for the ring wing 207when the aerial vehicle 200 is oriented for horizontal flight.

The aerial vehicle may also include one or more landing gears 203 thatare extendable to a landing position, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Duringflight, the landing gear 203 may be retracted into the interior of thering wing 207 and/or may be rotated up and remain along the trailingedge of the ring wing. In still other examples, the landing gear may bepermanently affixed.

The fuselage 210 may be used to house or store one or more components ofthe aerial vehicle, such as the aerial vehicle control system 214, apower module 206, and/or a payload 212 that is transported by the aerialvehicle. The aerial vehicle control system is discussed further below.The power module(s) 206 may be removably mounted to the aerial vehicle200. The power module(s) 206 for the aerial vehicle may be, for example,in the form of battery power, solar power, gas power, super capacitor,fuel cell, alternative power generation source, or a combinationthereof. The power module(s) 206 are coupled to and provide power forthe aerial vehicle control system 214, the propulsion mechanisms 202,and the payload engagement module 210-1.

In some implementations, one or more of the power modules may beconfigured such that it can be autonomously removed and/or replaced withanother power module. For example, when the aerial vehicle lands at adelivery location, relay location and/or materials handling facility,the aerial vehicle may engage with a charging member at the locationthat will recharge the power module.

The payload 212 may be any payload that is to be transported by theaerial vehicle. In some implementations, the aerial vehicle may be usedto aerially deliver items ordered by customers for aerial delivery andthe payload may include one or more customer ordered items. For example,a customer may order an item from an electronic commerce website and theitem may be delivered to a customer specified delivery location usingthe aerial vehicle 200.

In some implementations, the fuselage 210 may include a payloadengagement module 210-1. For example, the payload engagement module210-1 may be a hinged portion of the fuselage 210 that can rotatebetween an open position, in which the interior of the fuselage isaccessible so that the payload 212 may be added to or removed from thefuselage, and a closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, so that thepayload 212 is secured within the interior of the fuselage.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an aerial vehicle 300 with a ring wing 307, inaccordance with disclosed implementations. The aerial vehicle 300corresponds to the aerial vehicle 100 discussed in FIG. 1 and aerialvehicle 200 discussed in FIG. 2. As illustrated, when the aerial vehicleis oriented for horizontal flight, as illustrated in FIG. 3, thefuselage 310 is oriented horizontally and two of the propulsionmechanisms, propulsion mechanism 302-2 and the propulsion mechanism onthe opposing side of the fuselage and illustrated in FIG. 1, areoriented to produce thrust in a substantially horizontal direction. Incomparison, the other propulsion mechanisms, such as propulsionmechanisms 302-1 and 302-3, are not oriented to produce forces insubstantially the horizontal direction. During horizontal flight, thepropulsion mechanisms, such as propulsion mechanism 302-1 and 302-3, maybe disabled and/or used to produce maneuverability forces that willcause the aerial vehicle to pitch, yaw, and/or roll as it aeriallynavigates in a substantially horizontal direction. In someimplementations, the propulsion mechanisms that are not aligned toproduce substantially horizontal forces may be allowed to freely rotatein the wind and energy produced from the rotation may be used to chargethe power module of the aerial vehicle 300.

The ring wing 307 is angled such that the lower segment 307-2 of thering wing is positioned ahead of the upper segment 307-1 of the ringwing 307. The leading wing, lower segment 307-2 produces a much higherlift per square inch than the rear wing, upper segment 307-1, and thechord length of the lower segment 307-2 is less than the chord length ofthe upper segment 307-1. Likewise, as illustrated, the upper segment307-1 of the ring wing has a different camber than the lower segment307-2. The chord length and camber transition from that illustratedalong the upper segment 307-1 to the lower segment 307-2. Inimplementations that include one or more stabilizer fins, such asstabilizer fin 120 (FIG. 1), the difference between the chord lengths ofthe lower segment 307-2 and the upper segment 307-1 may be less and/orthe difference between the cambers of the lower segment 307-2 and theupper segment 307-1 may be less.

While the side segments, such as side segment 307-4 and segment 307-6 ofthe ring wing provide some lift, at the midpoint 308 of each sidesegment there is minimal lift produced by the ring wing 307. Becausethere is minimal lift produced at the midpoint 308, the segments may betapered to reduce the overall weight of the aerial vehicle. In thisexample, the side segments, such as side segments 307-4 and 307-6, aretapered toward the mid-point but retain some dimension for structuralintegrity and to operate as a protective barrier around the propulsionmechanisms 302. While the illustrated examples show both side segments307-4 and 307-6 tapering to a smaller end at the midpoint 308, in otherimplementations, the taper may be consistent from the larger top segment307-1 to the smaller lower segment 307-2.

In addition to providing lift, the ring wing 307 provides a protectivebarrier or shroud that surrounds the propulsion mechanisms of the aerialvehicle 300. The protective barrier of the ring wing 307 increases thesafety of the aerial vehicle. For example, if the aerial vehicle comesinto contact with another object, there is a higher probability that theobject will contact the ring wing, rather than a propulsion mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a front-on view of an aerial vehicle 400 with a ring wing 407having a substantially hexagonal shape, according to disclosedimplementations. The aerial vehicle 400 corresponds to aerial vehicle100 of FIG. 1, aerial vehicle 200 of FIG. 2, and aerial vehicle 300 ofFIG. 3. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 3, when the aerialvehicle is oriented for horizontal flight, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and4, the fuselage 410 is oriented in the direction of travel, the ringwing 407 is oriented in the direction of travel such that it willproduce a lifting force, and propulsion mechanisms 402-2 and 402-5,which are on opposing sides of the fuselage 410, are aligned to produceforces in the substantially horizontal direction to propel or thrust theaerial vehicle horizontally. The other propulsion mechanisms 402-1,402-3, 402-4, and 402-6 are offset and may be disabled, used to producemaneuverability forces, and/or allowed to freely rotate and produceenergy that is used to charge a power module of the aerial vehicle 400.By increasing the thrust produced by each of the propulsion mechanisms402-2 and 402-5, the horizontal speed of the aerial vehicle increases.Likewise, the lifting force from the ring wing 407 also increases. Insome implementations, one or more ailerons, such as those discussedabove with respect to FIG. 1, may be included on the surface of the ringwing and used to control the aerial navigation of the aerial vehicleduring horizontal flight. Likewise, one or more stabilizer fins 420 maybe included to stabilize the aerial vehicle during horizontal flight.

In some implementations, the hexagonal shaped ring wing may decreasemanufacturing costs, provide for more stable flight, and provide flattersurfaces upon which control elements, such as ailerons, may be included,in comparison to a substantially circular shaped ring wing as describedherein with respect to FIG. 5. Likewise, other components may be coupledto the surface of the ring wing. Other components include, but are notlimited to, sensors, imaging elements, range finders, identifyingmarkers, navigation components, such as global positioning satelliteantennas, antennas, etc.

As discussed below, to transition the aerial vehicle from a VTOLorientation, as illustrated in FIG. 2, to a horizontal flightorientation, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, forces generated by eachof the propulsion mechanisms 402 will cause the aerial vehicle to pitchforward and increase in speed in the horizontal direction. As thehorizontal speed increases and the pitch increases, the lifting forceproduced by the airfoil shape of the ring wing will increase which willfurther cause the aerial vehicle to pitch into the horizontal flightorientation and allow the aerial vehicle to remain airborne.

In contrast, as discussed below, when the aerial vehicle is totransition from a horizontal flight orientation to a VTOL orientation,forces from the propulsion mechanisms may cause the aerial vehicle todecrease pitch and reduce horizontal speed. As the pitch of the aerialvehicle decreases, the lift produced by the airfoil shape of the ringwing decreases and the thrust produced by each of the six propulsionmechanisms 402 are utilized to maintain flight of the aerial vehicle400.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, each of the propulsion mechanisms 402 arepositioned in approximately the same plane that is substantially alignedwith the ring wing. Likewise, each propulsion mechanism 402 is spacedapproximately sixty degrees from each other around the fuselage 410,such that the propulsion mechanisms are positioned at approximatelyequal distances with respect to one another and around the fuselage 410of the aerial vehicle 400. For example, the second propulsion mechanism402-2 and the fifth propulsion mechanism 402-5 may each be positionedalong the X axis. The third propulsion mechanism 402-3 may be positionedat approximately sixty degrees from the X axis and the fourth propulsionmechanism 402-4 may be positioned approximately one-hundred and twentydegrees from the X axis. Likewise, the first propulsion mechanism 402-1and the sixth propulsion mechanism 402-6 may likewise be positionedapproximately sixty and one-hundred and twenty degrees from the X axisin the negative direction.

In other implementations, the spacing between the propulsion mechanismsmay be different. For example, propulsion mechanisms 402-1, 402-3, and402-5, which are oriented in the first direction, may each beapproximately equally spaced 120 degrees apart and propulsion mechanisms402-2, 402-4, and 402-6, which are oriented in the second direction, mayalso be approximately equally spaced 120 degrees apart. However, thespacing between propulsion mechanisms oriented in the first directionand propulsion mechanisms oriented in the second direction may not beequal. For example, the propulsion mechanisms 402-1, 402-3, and 402-5,oriented in the first direction, may be positioned at approximately zerodegrees, approximately 120 degrees, and approximately 240 degrees aroundthe perimeter of the aerial vehicle with respect to the X axis, and thepropulsion mechanisms 402-2, 402-4, and 402-6, oriented in the seconddirection, may be positioned at approximately 10 degrees, approximately130 degrees, and approximately 250 degrees around the perimeter of theaerial vehicle 400 with respect to the X axis.

In other implementations, the propulsion mechanisms may have otheralignments. Likewise, in other implementations, there may be fewer oradditional propulsion mechanisms. Likewise, in some implementations, thepropulsion mechanisms may not all be aligned in the same plane and/orthe ring wing may be in a different plane than some or all of thepropulsion mechanisms.

While the examples discussed above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 discussrotating the propulsion mechanisms approximately thirty degrees abouteach respective motor arm and that the ring wing is offset approximatelythirty degrees with respect to the fuselage, in other implementations,the orientation of the propulsion mechanisms and/or the ring wing may begreater or less than thirty degrees and the angle of the ring wing maybe different than the angle of one or more propulsion mechanisms. Insome implementations, if maneuverability of the aerial vehicle when theaerial vehicle is in VTOL orientation is of higher importance, theorientation of the propulsion mechanisms may be higher than thirtydegrees. For example, each of the propulsion mechanisms may be orientedapproximately forty-five degrees about each respective motor arm, ineither the first or second direction. In comparison, if the liftingforce of the aerial vehicle when the aerial vehicle is in the VTOLorientation is of higher importance, the orientation of the propulsionmechanisms may be less than thirty degrees. For example, each propulsionmechanism may be oriented approximately ten degrees from a verticalorientation about each respective motor arm.

In some implementations, the orientations of some propulsion mechanismsmay be different than other propulsion mechanisms. For example,propulsion mechanisms 402-1, 402-3, and 402-5 may each be orientedapproximately fifteen degrees in the first direction and propulsionmechanisms 402-2, 402-4, and 402-6 may be oriented approximatelytwenty-five degrees in the second direction. In still other examples,pairs of propulsion mechanisms may have different orientations thanother pairs of propulsion mechanisms. For example, propulsion mechanisms402-1 and 402-6 may each be oriented approximately thirty degrees in thefirst direction and second direction, respectively, toward one another,propulsion mechanisms 402-3 and 402-2 may each be oriented approximatelyforty-five degrees in the first direction and second direction,respectively, toward one another, and propulsion mechanisms 402-5 and402-4 may each be oriented approximately forty-five degrees in the firstdirection and second direction, respectively, toward one another.

As discussed below, by orienting propulsion mechanisms partially towardone another in pairs, as illustrated, the lateral or horizontal forcesgenerated by the pairs of propulsion mechanisms, when producing the sameamount of force, will cancel out such that the sum of the forces fromthe pair is only in a substantially vertical direction (Z direction),when the aerial vehicle is in the VTOL orientation. Likewise, asdiscussed below, if one propulsion mechanism of the pair produces aforce larger than a second propulsion mechanism, a lateral or horizontalforce will result in the X direction and/or the Y direction, when theaerial vehicle is in the VTOL orientation. A horizontal force producedfrom one or more of the pairs of propulsion mechanisms enables theaerial vehicle to translate in a horizontal direction and/or yaw withoutaltering the pitch of the aerial vehicle, when the aerial vehicle is inthe VTOL orientation. Producing lateral forces by multiple pairs ofpropulsion mechanisms 402 enables the aerial vehicle 400 to operateindependently in any of the six degrees of freedom (surge, sway, heave,pitch, yaw, and roll). As a result, the stability and maneuverability ofthe aerial vehicle 400 is increased.

While the implementations illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 include six arms thatextend radially from a central portion of the aerial vehicle and arecoupled to the ring wing, in other implementations, there may be feweror additional arms. For example, the aerial vehicle may include supportarms that extend between the motor arms and provide additional supportto the aerial vehicle. As another example, not all of the motor arms mayextend to and couple with the ring wing.

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of an aerial vehicle 500 with a ring wing thatis substantially cylindrical or circular in shape and that surrounds aplurality of propulsion mechanisms, in accordance with disclosedimplementations. The aerial vehicle 500 includes six motors 501-1,501-2, 501-3, 501-4, 501-5, and 501-6 and corresponding propellers504-1, 504-2, 504-3, 504-4, 504-5, and 504-6 spaced about the fuselage510 of the aerial vehicle 500. The propellers 504 may be any form ofpropeller (e.g., graphite, carbon fiber) and of any size. For example,the propellers may be 10 inch-12-inch diameter carbon fiber propellers.

The form and/or size of some of the propellers may be different thanother propellers. Likewise, the motors 501 may be any form of motor,such as a DC brushless motor, and may be of a size sufficient to rotatethe corresponding propeller. Likewise, in some implementations, the sizeand/or type of some of the motors 501 may be different than other motors501. In some implementations, the motors may be rotated in eitherdirection such that the force generated by the propellers may be eithera positive force, when rotating in a first direction, or a negativeforce, when rotating in the second direction. Alternatively, or inaddition thereto, the pitch of the blades of a propeller may bevariable. By varying the pitch of the blades, the force generated by thepropeller may be altered to either be in a positive direction or anegative direction. Still further, in some implementations, the pitch ofthe blades may be adjusted such that they are aligned with the directionof travel of the aerial vehicle and thus provide significantly less dragif they are not rotating.

Each pair of motors 501 and corresponding propellers 504 will bereferred to herein collectively as a propulsion mechanism 502, such aspropulsion mechanisms 502-1, 502-2, 502-3, 502-4, 502-5, and 502-6.Likewise, while the example illustrated in FIG. 5 describes thepropulsion mechanisms 502 as including motors 501 and propellers 504, inother implementations, other forms of propulsion may be utilized as thepropulsion mechanisms 502. For example, one or more of the propulsionmechanisms 502 of the aerial vehicle 500 may utilize fans, jets,turbojets, turbo fans, jet engines, and/or the like to maneuver theaerial vehicle. Generally described, a propulsion mechanism 502, as usedherein, includes any form of propulsion mechanism that is capable ofgenerating a force sufficient to maneuver the aerial vehicle, aloneand/or in combination with other propulsion mechanisms. Furthermore, inselected implementations, propulsion mechanisms (e.g., 502-1, 502-2,502-3, 502-4, 502-5, and 502-6) may be configured such that theirindividual orientations may be dynamically modified (e.g., change fromvertical to horizontal flight orientation or any position therebetween).

Likewise, while the examples herein describe the propulsion mechanismsbeing able to generate force in either direction, in someimplementations, the propulsion mechanisms may only generate force in asingle direction. However, the orientation of the propulsion mechanismmay be adjusted so that the force can be oriented in a positivedirection, a negative direction, and/or any other direction.

The aerial vehicle 500 also includes a ring wing 507 having asubstantially cylindrical or circular shape that extends around andforms the perimeter of the aerial vehicle 500. In the illustratedexample, the ring wing is substantially circular in shape and taperstoward the bottom of the aerial vehicle. The ring wing 507 has anairfoil shape to produce lift when the aerial vehicle is oriented asillustrated in FIG. 5 and moving in a direction that is substantiallyhorizontal. As illustrated, and discussed further below, the ring wingis positioned at an angle with respect to the fuselage 510 such that thelower part of the ring wing acts as a front wing as it is positionedtoward the front of the aerial vehicle when oriented as shown and movingin a horizontal direction. The top of the ring wing, which has a longerchord length than the bottom portion of the ring wing 507, is positionedfarther back and thus acts as a rear wing.

The ring wing is secured to the fuselage 510 by motor arms 505. In theillustrated example, each of motors arms 505-1, 505-3, 505-4, and 505-6are coupled to the fuselage 510 at one end, extend from the fuselage 510and couple to the ring wing 507 at a second end, thereby securing thering wing 507 to the fuselage 510.

The fuselage 510, motor arms 505, and ring wing 507 of the aerialvehicle 500 may be formed of any one or more suitable materials, such asgraphite, carbon fiber, and/or aluminum.

Each of the propulsion mechanisms 502 are coupled to a respective motorarm 505 (or propulsion mechanism arm) such that the propulsion mechanism502 is substantially contained within the perimeter of the ring wing507. For example, propulsion mechanism 502-1 is coupled to motor arm505-1, propulsion mechanism 502-2 is coupled to motor arm 505-2,propulsion mechanism 502-3 is coupled to motor arm 505-3, propulsionmechanism 502-4 is coupled to motor arm 505-4, propulsion mechanism502-5 is coupled to motor arm 505-5, and propulsion mechanism 502-6 iscoupled to motor arm 505-6. In the illustrated example, propulsionmechanisms 502-1, 502-3, 502-4, and 502-6 are coupled at an approximatemid-point of the respective motor arm 505 between the fuselage 510 andthe ring wing 507. In other implementations, the propulsion mechanisms(such as propulsion mechanisms 502-2 and 502-5 illustrated in FIG. 5)may be coupled at other locations along the motor arm. Likewise, in someimplementations, some of the propulsion mechanisms may be coupled to amid-point of the motor arm and some of the propulsion mechanisms may becoupled at other locations along respective motor arms (e.g., closertoward the fuselage 510 or closer toward the ring wing 507).

As illustrated, the propulsion mechanisms 502 may be oriented atdifferent angles with respect to each other. For example, propulsionmechanisms 502-2 and 502-5 are aligned with the fuselage 510 such thatthe force generated by each of propulsion mechanisms 502-2 and 502-5 isin-line or in the same direction or orientation as the fuselage. In theillustrated example, the aerial vehicle 500 is oriented for horizontalflight such that the fuselage is oriented horizontally in the directionof travel. In such an orientation, the propulsion mechanisms 502-2 and502-5 provide horizontal forces, also referred to herein as thrustingforces, and act as thrusting propulsion mechanisms.

In comparison to propulsion mechanisms 502-2 and 502-5, each ofpropulsion mechanisms 502-1, 502-3, 502-4, and 502-6 are offset orangled with respect to the orientation of the fuselage 510. When theaerial vehicle 500 is oriented horizontally as shown in FIG. 5 forhorizontal flight, the propulsion mechanisms 502-1, 502-3, 502-4, and502-6 may be used as propulsion mechanisms, providing thrust in anon-horizontal direction to cause the aerial vehicle to pitch, yaw,roll, heave and/or sway. In other implementations, during horizontalflight, the propulsion mechanisms 502-1, 502-3, 502-4, and 502-6 may bedisabled such that they do not produce any forces and the aerial vehicle500 may be propelled aerially in a horizontal direction as a result ofthe lifting force from the aerodynamic shape of the ring wing 507 andthe horizontal thrust produced by the thrusting propulsion mechanisms502-2 and 502-5.

The angle of orientation of each of the propulsion mechanisms 502-1,502-3, 502-4, and 502-6 may vary for different implementations.Likewise, in some implementations, the offset of the propulsionmechanisms 502-1, 502-3, 502-4, and 502-6 may each be the same, withsome oriented in one direction and some oriented in another direction,may each be oriented different amounts, and/or in different directions.

In the illustrated example of FIG. 5, each propulsion mechanism 502-1,502-2, 502-3, 502-4, 502-5, and 502-6 may be oriented approximatelythirty degrees with respect to the position of each respective motor arm505-1, 505-2, 505-3, 505-4, 505-5, and 505-6. In addition, the directionof orientation of the propulsion mechanisms is such that pairs ofpropulsion mechanisms are oriented toward one another. For example,propulsion mechanism 502-1 is oriented approximately thirty degreestoward propulsion mechanism 502-6. Likewise, propulsion mechanism 502-2is oriented approximately thirty degrees in a second direction about thesecond motor arm 505-2 and oriented toward propulsion mechanism 502-3.Finally, propulsion mechanism 502-4 is oriented approximately thirtydegrees in the first direction about the fourth motor arm 505-4 andtoward propulsion mechanism 502-5. As illustrated, propulsion mechanisms502-2 and 502-5, which are on opposing sides of the fuselage 110, arealigned and oriented in a same first direction (in this example,horizontal). Propulsion mechanisms 502-3 and 502-6, which are onopposing sides of the fuselage 510, are aligned and oriented in a samesecond direction, which is angled compared to the first direction.Propulsion mechanisms 502-1 and 502-4, which are on opposing sides ofthe fuselage 510, are aligned and oriented in a same third direction,which is angled compared to the first direction and the seconddirection.

Various other features, variations, modifications, and/or exampleembodiments described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4 may also becombined and/or incorporated into the aerial vehicle 500 as illustratedin FIG. 5.

While the examples discussed above in FIGS. 1-5 describe a ring wing ineither a substantially hexagonal shape (FIGS. 1-4) or a substantiallycircular shape (FIG. 5), in other implementations, the ring wing mayhave other shapes. For example, the ring wing may be substantiallysquare, rectangular, pentagonal, octagonal, etc. Further, while theexamples discussed above include six propulsion mechanism arms, sixpropulsion mechanisms, and six propellers, in other example embodiments,the aerial vehicle reconfigurations described herein may be implementedon various other types of aerial vehicles, such as aerial vehicleshaving fewer than six propulsion mechanism arms, motors, and propellers,aerial vehicles having greater than six propulsion mechanism arms,motors, and propellers, and/or aerial vehicles having configurationsdifferent from those described herein, such as quad-copters,octa-copters, or other configurations.

During operation of example aerial vehicles, such as those illustratedand described with respect to FIGS. 1-5, various types of faults orfailure modes may arise that result in degraded operational states ofthe aerial vehicles. For example, one or more of the propulsionmechanisms may no longer operate normally due to various types offaults, which may be referred to as motor out situations. In order toimprove the reliability, safety, and operational capability of theaerial vehicles, the aerial vehicles may implement one or morereconfigurations in response to such faults in order to maintain flightof the aerial vehicles and land at safe landing locations.

The various types of faults that may result in motor out situations mayinclude damage or loss of function of one or more propellers orpropeller blades, damage or loss of function of one or more motors,damage or loss of function of one or more motor controllers that areeach in communication with a corresponding motor and propeller, damageor loss of function between one or more motor controllers and a flightcontroller that is in communication with each of the motor controllers,loss of power or other electrical signals between two or more componentsof the aerial vehicle, or various other types of faults.

In addition, the various types of faults may be detected in variousmanners. For example, damage or loss of function of one or morepropellers or propeller blades may be detected by comparison of actualvalues of motor revolutions per minute (rpm) and applied current withexpected values of motor rpm and applied current, since a motor rotatingwith damaged or missing propellers or blades may draw different valuesof current than expected values while rotating at a particular motorrpm. In addition, damage or loss of function of one or more motors maybe detected by comparison of measured rpm versus commanded rpm, or bymeasurements and/or calculations related to motor efficiency. Further,various faults of one or more propellers, blades, and/or motors may bedetected by one or more motor controllers, which may be provided asfeedback to the flight controller. Moreover, various faults of one ormore motor controllers may be detected by the flight controller.

In further example embodiments, various other types of sensors may beused to detect one or more of the various types of faults that result inmotor out situations. For example, the sensors may include imagingdevices or cameras that can capture images of portions of propellers,blades, and/or motors, which images may be processed to determine damageor loss of function of one or more components. In addition, the sensorsmay include inertial measurement units, accelerometers, gyroscopes, orsimilar types of sensors that may detect changes to flight operations ornavigation of the aerial vehicle that may be caused by one or morefaults that result in motor out situations. Various other types ofsensors may also detect aspects of flight, navigation, movement, oroperation of various components of the aerial vehicles to identify oneor more faults. Moreover, the various types of faults may be detected byvarious combinations of methods described herein.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate views of a propulsion mechanism 102 having anadjustable cant angle, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor101 and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 may berotatably or movably mounted to the motor arm 105. For example, anactuator 625-1 may be associated with the motor arm 105, and/or anactuator 625-2 may be associated with the motor 101. Each of theactuators 625 may be connected via electrical lines or wirelessly (notshown) to an aerial vehicle control system, a part thereof, or anothercomponent in communication with the aerial vehicle control system, inorder to receive power and/or instructions or commands. One or more ofthe actuators 625 may be configured to modify the cant angle 627-1 ofthe motor 101 relative to the motor arm 105, such that the motor 101 mayrotate substantially around an axis of the motor arm 105.

The actuators 625 may include one or more of a clutch, a switch, a biaselement or spring, a damper, a spring-loaded actuator, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a geared actuator, a magneticactuator, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, a piezoelectricactuator, or various other types of actuators. In addition, theactuators 625 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different positions,and/or may be configured for variable actuation between a plurality ofdifferent positions.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the actuators 625 may include a clutch, a switch,or a spring-loaded actuator that moves the motor 101 relative to themotor arm 105 between two or more cant angles. In addition, theactuators 625 may include a servo or a magnetic actuator that moves themotor 101 relative to the motor arm 105 between two or more cant angles.Further, the actuators 625 may include a solenoid and a bias elementthat move the motor 101 relative to the motor arm 105 between two ormore cant angles. Moreover, the actuators 625 may include a motor, arotary actuator, a screw actuator, or a geared actuator that moves themotor 101 relative to the motor arm 105 between two or more cant angles.Various other actuators or combinations of actuators may be used toeffect rotational movement of the motor 101 relative to the motor arm105.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor101 and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 and motorarm 105 may be rotatably or movably mounted to the fuselage 110 and wing107. For example, an actuator 625-3 may be associated with the fuselage110, an actuator 625-4 may be associated with the motor arm 105, and/oran actuator (not shown) may be associated with the wing 107. Each of theactuators 625 may be connected via electrical lines or wirelessly (notshown) to an aerial vehicle control system, a part thereof, or anothercomponent in communication with the aerial vehicle control system, inorder to receive power and/or instructions or commands. One or more ofthe actuators 625 may be configured to modify the cant angle 627-3 ofthe motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110 and wing107, such that the motor 101 and motor arm 105 may rotate substantiallyaround an axis of the motor arm 105.

The actuators 625 may include one or more of a clutch, a switch, a biaselement or spring, a damper, a spring-loaded actuator, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a geared actuator, a magneticactuator, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, a piezoelectricactuator, or various other types of actuators. In addition, theactuators 625 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different positions,and/or may be configured for variable actuation between a plurality ofdifferent positions.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the actuators 625 may include a clutch, a switch,or a spring-loaded actuator that moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105relative to the fuselage 110 and wing 107 between two or more cantangles. In addition, the actuators 625 may include a servo or a magneticactuator that moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to thefuselage 110 and wing 107 between two or more cant angles. Further, theactuators 625 may include a solenoid and a bias element that move themotor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110 and wing 107between two or more cant angles. Moreover, the actuators 625 may includea motor, a rotary actuator, a screw actuator, or a geared actuator thatmoves the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110 andwing 107 between two or more cant angles. Various other actuators orcombinations of actuators may be used to effect rotational movement ofthe motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110 and wing107.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate views of a propulsion mechanism 102 having anadjustable toe angle, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor101 and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 and motorarm 105 may be movably mounted to the fuselage 110. For example, anactuator 725-1 may be associated with the fuselage 110, and/or anactuator 725-2 may be associated with the motor arm 105. Each of theactuators 725 may be connected via electrical lines or wirelessly (notshown) to an aerial vehicle control system, a part thereof, or anothercomponent in communication with the aerial vehicle control system, inorder to receive power and/or instructions or commands. One or more ofthe actuators 725 may be configured to modify the toe angle 727-1 of themotor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110, such that themotor 101 and motor arm 105 may rotate or pivot toward or away from thefuselage 110.

The actuators 725 may include one or more of a clutch, a switch, a biaselement or spring, a damper, a spring-loaded actuator, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a geared actuator, a magneticactuator, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, a piezoelectricactuator, or various other types of actuators. In addition, theactuators 725 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different positions,and/or may be configured for variable actuation between a plurality ofdifferent positions.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the actuators 725 may include a clutch, a switch,or a spring-loaded actuator that moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105relative to the fuselage 110 between two or more toe angles. Inaddition, the actuators 725 may include a servo or a magnetic actuatorthat moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110between two or more toe angles. Further, the actuators 725 may include asolenoid and a bias element that move the motor 101 and motor arm 105relative to the fuselage 110 between two or more toe angles. Moreover,the actuators 725 may include a motor, a rotary actuator, a linearactuator, a screw actuator, or a geared actuator (such as a rack andpinion) that moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to thefuselage 110 between two or more toe angles. Various other actuators orcombinations of actuators may be used to effect movement of the motor101 and motor arm 105 relative to the fuselage 110.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor101 and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 and motorarm 105 may be movably mounted to the wing 107. For example, an actuator725-3 may be associated with the motor arm 105, and/or an actuator (notshown) may be associated with the wing 107. Each of the actuators 725may be connected via electrical lines or wirelessly (not shown) to anaerial vehicle control system, a part thereof, or another component incommunication with the aerial vehicle control system, in order toreceive power and/or instructions or commands. One or more of theactuators 725 may be configured to modify the toe angle 727-3 of themotor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the wing 107, such that themotor 101 and motor arm 105 may rotate or pivot toward or away from thewing 107.

The actuators 725 may include one or more of a clutch, a switch, a biaselement or spring, a damper, a spring-loaded actuator, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a geared actuator, a magneticactuator, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, a piezoelectricactuator, or various other types of actuators. In addition, theactuators 725 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different positions,and/or may be configured for variable actuation between a plurality ofdifferent positions.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the actuators 725 may include a clutch, a switch,or a spring-loaded actuator that moves the motor 101 and motor arm 105relative to the wing 107 between two or more toe angles. In addition,the actuators 725 may include a servo or a magnetic actuator that movesthe motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to the wing 107 between two ormore toe angles. Further, the actuators 725 may include a solenoid and abias element that move the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to thewing 107 between two or more toe angles. Moreover, the actuators 725 mayinclude a motor, a rotary actuator, a linear actuator, a screw actuator,or a geared actuator (such as a rack and pinion) that moves the motor101 and motor arm 105 relative to the wing 107 between two or more toeangles. Various other actuators or combinations of actuators may be usedto effect movement of the motor 101 and motor arm 105 relative to thewing 107.

FIG. 8 illustrates a view of a propulsion mechanism 102 having anadjustable position, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

As shown in FIG. 8, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor 101and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 may bemovably mounted to the motor arm 105. For example, an actuator 825-1 maybe associated with the motor arm 105, and/or an actuator 825-2 may beassociated with the motor 101. Each of the actuators 825 may beconnected via electrical lines or wirelessly (not shown) to an aerialvehicle control system, a part thereof, or another component incommunication with the aerial vehicle control system, in order toreceive power and/or instructions or commands. One or more of theactuators 825 may be configured to modify the position 827-1 of themotor 101 relative to the motor arm 105, such that the motor 101 maymove or translate toward or away from the fuselage 110. In some exampleembodiments, in order to move or translate the motor 101 relative to themotor arm 105 away from the fuselage 110 and toward the wing 107 of theaerial vehicle, one or more sections of the wing 107 of the aerialvehicle may be moved, released, or disconnected, in order to provideclearance for the propulsion mechanism 102, e.g., the propeller 104rotated by the motor 101.

The actuators 825 may include one or more of a clutch, a switch, a biaselement or spring, a damper, a spring-loaded actuator, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a geared actuator, a magneticactuator, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, a piezoelectricactuator, or various other types of actuators. In addition, theactuators 825 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different positions,and/or may be configured for variable actuation between a plurality ofdifferent positions.

As shown in FIG. 8, the actuators 825 may include a clutch, a switch, ora spring-loaded actuator that moves the motor 101 relative to the motorarm 105 between two or more positions. In addition, the actuators 825may include a servo or a magnetic actuator that moves the motor 101relative to the motor arm 105 between two or more positions. Further,the actuators 825 may include a solenoid and a bias element that movethe motor 101 relative to the motor arm 105 between two or morepositions. Moreover, the actuators 825 may include a motor, a rotaryactuator, a linear actuator, a screw actuator, or a geared actuator(such as a rack and pinion) that moves the motor 101 relative to themotor arm 105 between two or more positions. Various other actuators orcombinations of actuators may be used to effect movement or translationof the motor 101 relative to the motor arm 105.

FIG. 9 illustrates a view of a propulsion mechanism 102 having anadjustable orientation using variable elasticity, in accordance withdisclosed implementations.

As shown in FIG. 9, the propulsion mechanism 102 may include a motor 101and a propeller 104. In example embodiments, the motor 101 may bemovably or pivotably mounted to the motor arm 105. For example, one ormore actuators 930 having variable elasticity may be mounted or coupledbetween the motor 101 and the motor arm 105, such as actuators 930-1 and930-2. Each of the actuators 930 may be connected via electrical linesor wirelessly (not shown) to an aerial vehicle control system, a partthereof, or another component in communication with the aerial vehiclecontrol system, in order to receive power and/or instructions orcommands. One or more of the actuators 930 may be configured to modifythe position and/or orientation of the motor 101 relative to the motorarm 105, such that the motor 101 may move or pivot relative to the motorarm 105. Although FIG. 9 shows two actuators 930-1 and 930-2 havingvariable elasticity, other numbers or arrangements of actuators may alsobe mounted or coupled between the motor 101 and the motor arm 105.

The actuators 930 may include one or more of a tunable or variable biaselement or spring, a magnetic actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, asolenoid, a linear actuator, or other types of actuators that may permitactive or passive control of elasticity or springiness. In addition, theactuators 930 may be configured for one-time actuation, e.g., upondetection of a propulsion mechanism failure or other aerial vehiclefault or failure, may be configured for one-way or two-way actuation,may be configured for binary actuation between two different levels ofelasticity or springiness, and/or may be configured for variableactuation between a plurality of different levels of elasticity orspringiness.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the actuators 930 may include a tunableor variable bias element or spring or a magnetic actuator that may becontrolled to change its elasticity or springiness. In response toaltering the elasticity or springiness of one or more actuators 930, adirection of thrust generated by the propulsion mechanism 102 may bedependent upon a magnitude of thrust generated by the propulsionmechanism 102 and the modified elasticity of the one or more actuators930. In the example embodiment of FIG. 9, if the actuator 930-1 ismodified to have greater elasticity than actuator 930-2, the directionof thrust generated by the propulsion mechanism 102 may rotate or pivottoward actuator 930-2 as actuator 930-1 extends or lengthens due to itsgreater elasticity, dependent upon the magnitude of thrust generated bythe propulsion mechanism 102. Likewise, if the actuator 930-2 ismodified to have greater elasticity than actuator 930-1, the directionof thrust generated by the propulsion mechanism 102 may rotate or pivottoward actuator 930-1 as actuator 930-2 extends or lengthens due to itsgreater elasticity, dependent upon the magnitude of thrust generated bythe propulsion mechanism 102. Thus, a greater magnitude of thrust of apropulsion mechanism combined with a change in elasticity of one or moreactuators may result in a greater change in a direction of thrust of thepropulsion mechanism.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate various views of an aerial vehicle withadjustable propulsion mechanisms, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

As shown in FIG. 10A, one or more of the propulsion mechanisms 102,e.g., all propulsion mechanisms 102 or all except any faulty or failedpropulsion mechanisms 102, may be reconfigured such that the propellersassociated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 may have modified cantangles to rotate within the same plane, or within parallel planes. Thatis, the propellers associated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 may beplanarized. In example embodiments in which one or more of thepropulsion mechanisms do not include propellers, directions of thrust ofeach of the propulsion mechanisms may be aligned in a same direction. Byplanarizing the operational propellers of the propulsion mechanisms 102,control of an aerial vehicle that has experienced a fault or failure ofa propulsion mechanism may be simplified or improved.

As shown in FIG. 10B, one or more of the propulsion mechanisms 102,e.g., all propulsion mechanisms 102 or all except any faulty or failedpropulsion mechanisms 102, may be reconfigured such that the propellersand motors associated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 may havemodified toe angles toward or away from the fuselage 110. That is, thepropellers and motors associated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 maybe rotated or pivoted radially inward and/or radially outward relativeto the fuselage 110. In example embodiments in which one or more of thepropulsion mechanisms do not include propellers, directions of thrust ofeach of the propulsion mechanisms may be rotated or pivoted radiallyinward and/or radially outward relative to the fuselage 110. By rotatingor pivoting the operational propellers and motors of the propulsionmechanisms 102 toward or away from the fuselage 110, control of anaerial vehicle that has experienced a fault or failure of a propulsionmechanism may be simplified or improved.

As shown in FIG. 10C, one or more of the propulsion mechanisms 102,e.g., all propulsion mechanisms 102 or all except any faulty or failedpropulsion mechanisms 102, may be reconfigured such that the propellersand motors associated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 may havemodified positions toward or away from the fuselage 110. That is, thepropellers and motors associated with the propulsion mechanisms 102 maybe moved or translated radially inward and/or radially outward relativeto the fuselage 110. In example embodiments in which one or more of thepropulsion mechanisms do not include propellers, directions of thrust ofeach of the propulsion mechanisms may be unchanged but moved ortranslated radially inward and/or radially outward relative to thefuselage 110. By moving or translating the operational propellers andmotors of the propulsion mechanisms 102 toward or away from the fuselage110, control of an aerial vehicle that has experienced a fault orfailure of a propulsion mechanism may be simplified or improved.

Although FIGS. 6A-10C describe various individual reconfigurations ofpropulsion mechanisms of an aerial vehicle such as modifications to cantangles, toe angles, positions, or orientations, in various exampleembodiments, each propulsion mechanism of an aerial vehicle may bemodified with any combination of changes to cant angles, toe angles,positions, and/or orientations. Further, although FIGS. 10A-10Cgenerally describe the same or similar modifications to cant angles, toeangles, positions, or orientations of each of the propulsion mechanismsof an aerial vehicle, in various example embodiments, each propulsionmechanism of an aerial vehicle may be modified differently from otherpropulsion mechanisms of the aerial vehicle. By various combinations ofmodifications to cant angles, toe angles, positions, and/or orientationsof one or more propulsion mechanisms of an aerial vehicle, control andsafety of the aerial vehicle may be improved or increased responsive tovarious potential faults or failures associated with one or morepropulsion mechanisms of an aerial vehicle.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of an example aerial vehicle motorout control process 1100, in accordance with disclosed implementations.

The process 1100 may begin by detecting a motor/propeller failure on anaerial vehicle, as at 1102. For example, the motor/propeller failure maybe a propulsion mechanism failure. In addition, the detected failure maybe any of the various types of faults that may result in motor outsituations, as described herein.

The process 1100 may continue by determining whether the aerial vehicleis currently in wingborn flight, as at 1104. For example, wingbornflight may be synonymous with navigation of the aerial vehicle in asubstantially horizontal direction, as described with reference to FIGS.1 and 3-5. This may be determined based on data associated with theflight controller and/or one or more motor controllers. In addition,this may be determined based on a flight plan of the aerial vehicle.Further, this may be determined based on data associated with one ormore sensors, such as an inertial measurement unit, accelerometers,and/or gyroscopes.

If it is determined that the aerial vehicle is currently in wingbornflight, it may then be determined whether the aerial vehicle is tocontinue wingborn flight, as at 1106. This may be determined based on aflight plan of the aerial vehicle, controllability of the aerial vehicledue to the motor out situation, remaining power or range of the aerialvehicle, additional drag due to the motor out situation, distance to asafe landing location for the aerial vehicle, objects, people, and/orobstacles in an environment of the aerial vehicle, temperature, wind,precipitation, pressure, or other environmental factors, and/or variousother factors.

If it is determined that the aerial vehicle is to continue wingbornflight, then the process 1100 may proceed by reconfiguring one or moremotors for wingborn flight, as at 1108. For example, one or more motors(or propulsion mechanisms) may be reconfigured to have modified cantangles, toe angles, positions, and/or orientations in order to maintaincontrol and safety of the aerial vehicle in wingborn flight responsiveto the motor out situation. For example, cant angles or toe angles ofone or more motors may be modified to provide additional thrust in thedirection of travel to maintain wingborn flight. In addition, cantangles, toe angles, and/or positions of one or more motors may bemodified to provide additional stability to the aerial vehicle inwingborn flight. The determination of whether to continue with wingbornflight may also be based on a flight plan of the aerial vehicle,controllability of the aerial vehicle due to the motor out situation,remaining power or range of the aerial vehicle, additional drag due tothe motor out situation, distance to a safe landing location for theaerial vehicle, objects, people, and/or obstacles in an environment ofthe aerial vehicle, temperature, wind, precipitation, pressure, or otherenvironmental factors, and/or various other factors.

After reconfiguring the motors and continuing wingborn flight, as at1108, the process 1100 may then continue by determining whether totransition to VTOL flight, as at 1110. The determination of whether totransition to VTOL flight may also be based on a flight plan of theaerial vehicle, controllability of the aerial vehicle due to the motorout situation, remaining power or range of the aerial vehicle,additional drag due to the motor out situation, distance to a safelanding location for the aerial vehicle, objects, people, and/orobstacles in an environment of the aerial vehicle, temperature, wind,precipitation, pressure, or other environmental factors, and/or variousother factors.

If it is determined that the aerial vehicle is to transition to VTOLflight, as at 1110, or after determining that the aerial vehicle is notto continue in wingborn flight, as at 1106, then the process 1100 mayproceed to transition the aerial vehicle from wingborn flight to VTOLflight using any control surfaces and/or any remaining propulsionmechanisms, as at 1112. As described herein, the aerial vehicle maytransition from wingborn flight to VTOL flight by reducing pitch and/orspeed of the aerial vehicle such that the ring wing produces less liftand the aerial vehicle pitches rearward to a VTOL flight orientation, asdescribed with respect to FIG. 2.

After transitioning to VTOL flight, as at 1112, or after determiningthat the aerial vehicle is not currently in wingborn flight, as at 1104,the process 1100 may continue by reconfiguring one or more motors forVTOL flight, as at 1114. For example, one or more motors (or propulsionmechanisms) may be reconfigured to have modified cant angles, toeangles, positions, and/or orientations in order to maintain control andsafety of the aerial vehicle in VTOL flight responsive to the motor outsituation. For example, cant angles and/or toe angles of one or moremotors may be modified to provide additional hovering thrust to maintainVTOL flight. In some examples, cant angles and/or toe angles of one ormore motors may be modified to planarize the propellers and simplify orimprove control in VTOL flight. In addition, toe angles of one or moremotors may be modified to pivot radially inward or radially outwardrelative to the fuselage to improve control and safety of the aerialvehicle in VTOL flight. Further, positions of one or more motors may bemodified to move radially inward or radially outward relative to thefuselage to provide additional stability to the aerial vehicle in VTOLflight.

After reconfiguring one or more motors for VTOL flight, as at 1114, orafter determining that the aerial vehicle is not to transition to VTOLflight and instead continue with wingborn flight, as at 1110, theprocess 1100 may proceed by identifying a safe landing location, as at1116. For example, the safe landing location may be predetermined andstored by or provided to the aerial vehicle. Various safe landinglocations may be identified and stored beforehand, and the aerialvehicle may identify a closest available safe landing locationresponsive to the motor out situation. In other examples, the aerialvehicle may use one or more sensors, such as imaging devices, radar,LIDAR, proximity sensors, inertial measurement units, navigation sensorssuch as global positioning sensors, and/or other types of sensors, toidentify a safe landing location responsive to the motor out situation.Various other types of sensors, beacons, or communication devices mayalso be used to identify a safe landing location for the aerial vehicle.

The process 1100 may then continue to control the aerial vehicle usingthe reconfigured one or more motors to the safe landing location, as at1118. For example, the aerial vehicle may reconfigure one or more motorsfor wingborn flight and/or may reconfigure one or more motors for VTOLflight, and the aerial vehicle may navigate to the identified safelanding location using the reconfigured one or more motors, as well asbased on data from one or more sensors, such as imaging devices andnavigation sensors. The process 1100 may then end, as at 1120.

FIG. 12 illustrates a flow diagram of an example aerial vehicle motorreconfiguration process 1200, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

The process 1200 may begin by determining whether to modify cant anglesof one or more motors, as at 1202. If it is determined that cant anglesof one or more motors are to be modified responsive to a motor outsituation, then the process 1200 may continue to control one or moreactuators to modify cant angles of associated motors, as at 1204. Asdescribed herein, various types, numbers, or arrangements of actuatorsmay be associated with each of the one or more motors, and one or moreof such actuators may be actuated to effect changes to cant angles ofthe associated motors, e.g., around axes of respective motor arms towhich the motors are coupled or mounted.

The process 1200 may then proceed by determining whether to modify toeangles of one or more motors, as at 1206. If it is determined that toeangles of one or more motors are to be modified responsive to a motorout situation, then the process 1200 may continue to control one or moreactuators to modify toe angles of associated motors, as at 1208. Asdescribed herein, various types, numbers, or arrangements of actuatorsmay be associated with each of the one or more motors, and one or moreof such actuators may be actuated to effect changes to toe angles of theassociated motors, e.g., relative to portions of the fuselage and/orportions of the wing to which the motors and motor arms are coupled ormounted.

The process 1200 may then proceed by determining whether to modifypositions of one or more motors, as at 1210. If it is determined thatpositions of one or more motors are to be modified responsive to a motorout situation, then the process 1200 may continue to control one or moreactuators to modify positions of associated motors, as at 1212. Asdescribed herein, various types, numbers, or arrangements of actuatorsmay be associated with each of the one or more motors, and one or moreof such actuators may be actuated to effect changes to positions of theassociated motors, e.g., relative to portions of the fuselage and/orportions of the wing and along motor arms to which the motors arecoupled or mounted.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating various components of an exampleaerial vehicle control system 1300, in accordance with disclosedimplementations.

In various examples, the block diagram may be illustrative of one ormore aspects of the aerial vehicle control system 1300 that may be usedto implement the various systems and methods discussed herein and/or tocontrol operation of an aerial vehicle discussed herein. In theillustrated implementation, the aerial vehicle control system 1300includes one or more processors 1302, coupled to a memory, e.g., anon-transitory computer readable storage medium 1320, via aninput/output (I/O) interface 1310. The aerial vehicle control system1300 also includes propulsion mechanism controllers 1304, such aselectronic speed controls (ESCs) or motor controllers, power modules1306 and/or a navigation system 1307. The aerial vehicle control system1300 further includes a payload engagement controller 1312, a controlmodule 1313 configured to implement one or more aerial vehiclereconfigurations described herein, a network interface 1316, and one ormore input/output devices 1317.

In various implementations, the aerial vehicle control system 1300 maybe a uniprocessor system including one processor 1302, or amultiprocessor system including several processors 1302 (e.g., two,four, eight, or another suitable number). The processor(s) 1302 may beany suitable processor capable of executing instructions. For example,in various implementations, the processor(s) 1302 may be general-purposeor embedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction setarchitectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, orany other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each processor(s)1302 may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA.

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium 1320 may beconfigured to store executable instructions, data, flight paths, flightcontrol parameters, center of gravity information, and/or data itemsaccessible by the processor(s) 1302. In various implementations, thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium 1320 may be implementedusing any suitable memory technology, such as static random accessmemory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-typememory, or any other type of memory. In the illustrated implementation,program instructions and data implementing desired functions, such asthose described herein, are shown stored within the non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium 1320 as program instructions 1322, datastorage 1324 and flight controls 1326, respectively. In otherimplementations, program instructions, data, and/or flight controls maybe received, sent, or stored upon different types of computer-accessiblemedia, such as non-transitory media, or on similar media separate fromthe non-transitory computer readable storage medium 1320 or the aerialvehicle control system 1300. Generally speaking, a non-transitory,computer readable storage medium may include storage media or memorymedia such as magnetic or optical media, e.g., disk or CD/DVD-ROM,coupled to the aerial vehicle control system 1300 via the I/O interface1310. Program instructions and data stored via a non-transitory computerreadable medium may be transmitted by transmission media or signals suchas electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may beconveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wirelesslink, such as may be implemented via the network interface 1316.

In one implementation, the I/O interface 1310 may be configured tocoordinate I/O traffic between the processor(s) 1302, the non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium 1320, and any peripheral devices, thenetwork interface or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/outputdevices 1317. In some implementations, the I/O interface 1310 mayperform any necessary protocol, timing or other data transformations toconvert data signals from one component (e.g., non-transitory computerreadable storage medium 1320) into a format suitable for use by anothercomponent (e.g., processor(s) 1302). In some implementations, the I/Ointerface 1310 may include support for devices attached through varioustypes of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the Peripheral ComponentInterconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB)standard, for example. In some implementations, the function of the I/Ointerface 1310 may be split into two or more separate components, suchas a north bridge and a south bridge, for example. Also, in someimplementations, some or all of the functionality of the I/O interface1310, such as an interface to the non-transitory computer readablestorage medium 1320, may be incorporated directly into the processor(s)1302.

The propulsion mechanism controllers 1304 may communicate with thenavigation system 1307 and adjust the rotational speed, position,orientation, or other parameters of each propulsion mechanism toimplement one or more aerial vehicle reconfigurations, to stabilize theaerial vehicle, and/or to perform one or more maneuvers and guide theaerial vehicle along a flight path and/or to a safe landing location.

The navigation system 1307 may include a global positioning system(GPS), indoor positioning system (IPS), or other similar system and/orsensors that can be used to navigate the aerial vehicle to and/or from alocation. The payload engagement controller 1312 communicates with theactuator(s) or motor(s) (e.g., a servo motor) used to engage and/ordisengage items.

The control module 1313 may comprise or form a part of a flightcontroller that is configured to implement one or more aerial vehiclereconfigurations described herein, such as modifying cant angles of oneor more propulsion mechanisms, modifying toe angles of one or morepropulsion mechanisms, modifying positions of one or more propulsionmechanisms, modifying orientations of one or more propulsion mechanisms,or other reconfigurations of the aerial vehicle. Further, the controlmodule 1313 may also be configured to control wingborn or horizontalflight of the aerial vehicle, VTOL flight of the aerial vehicle, andtransitions between wingborn and VTOL flight orientations of the aerialvehicle. The control module 1313 may send and/or receive data to/fromone or more sensors, such as imaging devices, an inertial measurementunit, accelerometers, gyroscopes, navigation sensors, or other sensors,and/or the control module 1313 may send and/or receive data to/frompropulsion mechanism controllers 1304 associated with respectivepropulsion mechanisms. In some example embodiments, the control module1313 may be integrated with or form a part of one or more of theprocessors 1302, the propulsion mechanism controllers 1304, and/or thenavigation system 1307.

The network interface 1316 may be configured to allow data to beexchanged between the aerial vehicle control system 1300, other devicesattached to a network, such as other computer systems (e.g., remotecomputing resources), and/or with aerial vehicle control systems ofother aerial vehicles. For example, the network interface 1316 mayenable wireless communication between the aerial vehicle and an aerialvehicle control system that is implemented on one or more remotecomputing resources. For wireless communication, an antenna of theaerial vehicle or other communication components may be utilized. Asanother example, the network interface 1316 may enable wirelesscommunication between numerous aerial vehicles. In variousimplementations, the network interface 1316 may support communicationvia wireless general data networks, such as a Wi-Fi network. Forexample, the network interface 1316 may support communication viatelecommunications networks, such as cellular communication networks,satellite networks, and the like.

Input/output devices 1317 may, in some implementations, include one ormore displays, imaging devices, thermal sensors, infrared sensors, timeof flight sensors, accelerometers, pressure sensors, weather sensors,etc. Multiple input/output devices 1317 may be present and controlled bythe aerial vehicle control system 1300. One or more of these sensors maybe utilized to implement the aerial vehicle reconfigurations describedherein, as well as to detect failures or faults, control wingborn orVTOL flight, effect transitions between wingborn and VTOLconfigurations, identify safe landing locations, and/or any otheroperations or functions described herein.

As shown in FIG. 13, the memory may include program instructions 1322,which may be configured to implement the example routines and/orsub-routines described herein. The data storage 1324 may include variousdata stores for maintaining data items that may be provided for aerialvehicle reconfigurations, determining flight paths, landing, identifyinglocations for disengaging items, determining which propulsion mechanismsto utilize to execute a maneuver, etc. In various implementations, theparameter values and other data illustrated herein as being included inone or more data stores may be combined with other information notdescribed or may be partitioned differently into more, fewer, ordifferent data structures. In some implementations, data stores may bephysically located in one memory or may be distributed among two or morememories.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aerial vehicle controlsystem 1300 is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit thescope of the present disclosure. In particular, the computing system anddevices may include any combination of hardware or software that canperform the indicated functions. The aerial vehicle control system 1300may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, orinstead may operate as a stand-alone system. In addition, thefunctionality provided by the illustrated components may, in someimplementations, be combined in fewer components or distributed inadditional components. Similarly, in some implementations, thefunctionality of some of the illustrated components may not be providedand/or other additional functionality may be available.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, while various itemsare illustrated as being stored in memory or storage while being used,these items or portions of them may be transferred between memory andother storage devices for purposes of memory management and dataintegrity. Alternatively, in other implementations, some or all of thesoftware components may execute in memory on another device andcommunicate with the illustrated aerial vehicle control system 1300.Some or all of the system components or data structures may also bestored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on a non-transitory,computer-accessible medium or a portable article to be read by anappropriate drive, various examples of which are described herein. Insome implementations, instructions stored on a computer-accessiblemedium separate from the aerial vehicle control system 1300 may betransmitted to the aerial vehicle control system 1300 via transmissionmedia or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digitalsignals, conveyed via a communication medium such as a wireless link.Various implementations may further include receiving, sending, orstoring instructions and/or data implemented in accordance with theforegoing description upon a computer-accessible medium. Accordingly,the techniques described herein may be practiced with other aerialvehicle control system configurations.

The above aspects of the present disclosure are meant to beillustrative. They were chosen to explain the principles and applicationof the disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit thedisclosure. Many modifications and variations of the disclosed aspectsmay be apparent to those of skill in the art. Persons having ordinaryskill in the field of computers, communications, and speech processingshould recognize that components and process steps described herein maybe interchangeable with other components or steps, or combinations ofcomponents or steps, and still achieve the benefits and advantages ofthe present disclosure. Moreover, it should be apparent to one skilledin the art that the disclosure may be practiced without some or all ofthe specific details and steps disclosed herein.

While the above examples have been described with respect to aerialvehicles, the disclosed implementations may also be used for other formsof vehicles, including, but not limited to, ground based vehicles andwater based vehicles.

Aspects of the disclosed system may be implemented as a computer methodor as an article of manufacture such as a memory device ornon-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer readablestorage medium may be readable by a computer and may compriseinstructions for causing a computer or other device to perform processesdescribed in the present disclosure. The computer readable storage mediamay be implemented by a volatile computer memory, non-volatile computermemory, hard drive, solid-state memory, flash drive, removable diskand/or other media. In addition, components of one or more of themodules and engines may be implemented in firmware or hardware.

Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” shouldgenerally be interpreted to include one or more described items.Accordingly, phrases such as “a device configured to” are intended toinclude one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devicescan also be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations.For example, “a processor configured to carry out recitations A, B andC” can include a first processor configured to carry out recitation Aworking in conjunction with a second processor configured to carry outrecitations B and C.

Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “about,”“approximately,” “generally,” “nearly” or “substantially” as usedherein, represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the statedvalue, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired functionor achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “about,”“approximately,” “generally,” “nearly” or “substantially” may refer toan amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of,within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than0.01% of the stated amount.

As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in apermissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather thanthe mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words“include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limitedto. Additionally, as used herein, the term “coupled” may refer to two ormore components connected together, whether that connection is permanent(e.g., welded) or temporary (e.g., bolted), direct or indirect (e.g.,through an intermediary), mechanical, chemical, optical, or electrical.Furthermore, as used herein, “horizontal” flight refers to flighttraveling in a direction substantially parallel to the ground (e.g., sealevel), and that “vertical” flight refers to flight travelingsubstantially radially outward from or inward toward the earth's center.It should be understood by those having ordinary skill that trajectoriesmay include components of both “horizontal” and “vertical” flightvectors.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respectto illustrative implementations thereof, the foregoing and various otheradditions and omissions may be made therein and thereto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aerial vehicle, comprising: a fuselage; sixmotor arms coupled to and extending from the fuselage; six motors, eachmotor coupled to a respective motor arm and positioned around thefuselage; six propellers, each propeller coupled to and rotated by arespective motor; a ring wing coupled to outer ends of the six motorarms and positioned around the fuselage, the six motors, and the sixpropellers; and six actuators, each actuator coupled to a respectivemotor and configured to alter at least one of a cant angle, a toe angle,or a position of the respective motor relative to the respective motorarm.
 2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein cant angles of each ofthe six motors are configured to be altered to planarize the six motorswith respect to each other.
 3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, whereintoe angles of each of the six motors are configured to be altered toangle the six motors at least one of toward or away from the fuselage.4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein positions of each of the sixmotors are configured to be altered to move the six motors at least oneof toward or away from the fuselage.
 5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1,further comprising: a controller configured to at least: detect afailure of a first motor of the six motors; responsive to the detectedfailure, actuate at least one actuator of the six actuators to alter atleast one of the cant angle, the toe angle, or the position of therespective motor relative to the respective motor arm; identify a safelanding location for the aerial vehicle; and navigate the aerial vehicleto the safe landing location.
 6. An aerial vehicle, comprising: afuselage; a plurality of propulsion mechanism arms coupled to andextending from the fuselage; a plurality of propulsion mechanisms, eachpropulsion mechanism coupled to a respective propulsion mechanism armand positioned around the fuselage; a ring wing coupled to outer ends ofthe plurality of propulsion mechanism arms and positioned around thefuselage and the plurality of propulsion mechanisms; and a firstactuator coupled to a first propulsion mechanism and configured to alterat least one of a cant angle, a toe angle, or a position of the firstpropulsion mechanism.
 7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein thefirst actuator is configured to alter the cant angle of the firstpropulsion mechanism around an axis of a first propulsion mechanism armto which the first propulsion mechanism is coupled.
 8. The aerialvehicle of claim 6, wherein the first actuator is configured to alterthe toe angle of the first propulsion mechanism by moving a connectionof a first propulsion mechanism arm to which the first propulsionmechanism is coupled relative to the fuselage.
 9. The aerial vehicle ofclaim 6, wherein the first actuator is configured to alter the toe angleof the first propulsion mechanism by moving a connection of a firstpropulsion mechanism arm to which the first propulsion mechanism iscoupled relative to a portion of the ring wing.
 10. The aerial vehicleof claim 6, wherein the first actuator comprises at least one of atunable bias element or a magnetic actuator configured to alter aspringiness of at least a portion of a coupling between the firstpropulsion mechanism and a first propulsion mechanism arm.
 11. Theaerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein at least one of the cant angle orthe toe angle is configured to be altered by the first actuator based atleast in part on a thrust generated by the first propulsion mechanism.12. The aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first actuator isconfigured to alter the position of the first propulsion mechanism alonga first propulsion mechanism arm to which the first propulsion mechanismis coupled.
 13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein a first sectionof the ring wing is configured to be at least one of moved or releasedto provide clearance for an altered position of the first propulsionmechanism.
 14. The aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first actuatorcomprises at least one of a clutch, a switch, a bias element, a servo, asolenoid, a motor, a screw actuator, a magnetic actuator, a linearactuator, or a rotary actuator.
 15. The aerial vehicle of claim 6,further comprising: a controller configured to at least: detect afailure of a second propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsionmechanisms; responsive to the detected failure, actuate the firstactuator to alter at least one of the cant angle, the toe angle, or theposition of the first propulsion mechanism; identify a safe landinglocation for the aerial vehicle; and navigate the aerial vehicle to thesafe landing location.
 16. The aerial vehicle of claim 6, furthercomprising: a plurality of actuators, each actuator coupled to arespective propulsion mechanism and configured to alter at least one ofa cant angle, a toe angle, or a position of the respective propulsionmechanism; wherein the plurality of actuators comprise the firstactuator.
 17. A method to control an aerial vehicle, comprising:detecting a failure of a first propulsion mechanism, the aerial vehiclecomprising a plurality of propulsion mechanisms and a plurality ofactuators, each actuator associated with a respective propulsionmechanism; responsive to the detected failure, actuating at least oneactuator of the plurality of actuators to alter at least one of a cantangle, a toe angle, or a position of a respective propulsion mechanism;identifying a safe landing location for the aerial vehicle; andnavigating the aerial vehicle to the safe landing location.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising: responsive to the detectedfailure, actuating respective actuators associated with remainingpropulsion mechanisms to alter cant angles of the remaining propulsionmechanisms such that the remaining propulsion mechanisms are planarizedwith respect to each other.
 19. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: responsive to the detected failure, actuating respectiveactuators associated with remaining propulsion mechanisms to alter toeangles of the remaining propulsion mechanisms such that the remainingpropulsion mechanisms are angled toward the fuselage.
 20. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising: responsive to the detected failure,actuating respective actuators associated with remaining propulsionmechanisms to alter positions of the remaining propulsion mechanismssuch that the remaining propulsion mechanisms are moved away from thefuselage.